Taiwanese IOC candidate thanks China for support

Taiwan’s Wu Ching-kuo (吳經國), who is standing for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said on Thursday that he is grateful for China’s support.

“I am ready and confident,” Wu said in an interview. “However, no prediction can be made regarding the September election.”

The 66-year-old Wu is the first ethnic Chinese to contest the IOC presidency. If successful, he would be the first Asian to lead the world’s top sports organization.

Jacques Rogge of Belgium, the incumbent IOC president, will finish his 12-year term this year and an election to find a replacement will be held at an IOC session in early September in Buenos Aires.

Five other candidates have thrown their hats into the ring; IOC vice presidents Thomas Bach of Germany and Ng Ser Miang of Singapore, as well as Richard Carrion from Puerto Rico, Denis Oswald from Switzerland and Sergey Bubka of Ukraine.

Wu said China has shown him much support and encouragement, adding that his bid to land the prestigious post is deemed as an “honor mutually shared between the two sides [of the Strait].”

There are three Chinese IOC members and one from Hong Kong. Wu said he is confident about winning the four votes as he has been devoted to promoting exchanges across the Taiwan Strait since 1989.

Wu also expressed the hope that his bid would give Taiwan greater visibility on the international stage and make Taiwanese pay more attention to the spirit of the Olympic movement.